The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

The "Sunrise Serenade" is the music that happens to be running through my head when I wake up in the morning. Today's serenade was the Latin-style gypsy swing piece "Negra De Cabello Duro" by Oscar Aleman. Click on the song title to go to the album page on emusic. Sample clip at track #15.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Like one of the authors on the Hemmings blog, I also find streamlined, home-made cars from the 1930's particularly interesting. The post on the Libby Jumbo Riley indicates the engine and suspension came from a Model A Ford.

The "Sunrise Serenade" is simply the music that happens to be running through my head when I wake up in the morning. Today's piece is "Opus No. 1" by the Dorsey Brothers. At least this time I know why this song was in my head: I played it on my show last night. Click on the song title to hear it. This version is from Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, rather than the Dorseys together, but the recordings are so similar as to be almost identical.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The phrase "Song of the Day," while accurate, lacks something in style. So with today's song, I am changing the name of this feature to "Sunrise Serenade" (with acknowledgments to Glenn Miller). To recap, almost every morning I wake up with some piece of music running through my head, usually from the swing era. Rather than seeking neurological treatment, I thought it would be cheaper to share it with you. If I can find a video or online recording of the track, I will post that as well.

Today's song is "Avalon" by Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club Quintet of France. Click the song title to hear the track, courtesy of Jazz On Line.

The "Song of the Day" is simply the music running through my head when I wake up in the morning. Today's song is one about my hometown and its famous waterway: "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I" by Ella Fitzgerald. Click here for a sample from emusic.

Monday, February 22, 2010

The "Song of the Day" is simply the music running through my head when I wake up each morning. Today's song is "After School Swing Session" by Louis Jordan. Below is a 30 second clip. Click on the song title above to hear the full track.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

As part of its Cartoon Circus, Boing Boing titled this short The Weirdest Cartoon Ever! I've seen some weird cartoons from the early days of animation, but I have to agree this one ranks very high on the weird-o-meter. The animation was by Grim Natwick, who also animated Snow White and Woody Woodpecker. Here is Swing You Sinners.

Friday, February 19, 2010

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the discovery of Pluto (not Mickey's dog). The Modern Mechanix blog recently posted an original article about the discovery of the "planet" Pluto. Just goes to show how times change. In 2006, astronomers officially reclassified Pluto as a "dwarf planet," stripping it of all its full planet benefits. So far, there has been no word on whether animators will reclassify Mickey's dog as a "toy."

Ever wake up with a song in your head? I do - practically every day; and yes, most of the time it is something from the swing era. I have started to notice this more often recently, and before I call the neurologist, I figured I might as well share it with you. So, whenever I wake up with a song in my head, I'll post it as the "Song of the Day." It may not be every day, and I may not always have a audio or video link, but if I can find one, I'll try to post it as well.

This morning, it was "Hooray for Hollywood," from the 1937 Warner Bros. picture, Hollywood Hotel featuring Benny Goodman and his Orchestra. Take it away, Benny.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

If you have ever read the comic strip Nancy, you have probably seen her Aunt Fritzi. What you may not know is that Fritzi Ritz was the star of the original strip in 1922, and remained so until 1938 when Nancy took over her Aunt's gig. Golden Age Comic Book Stories had a post about the artist Ernie Bushmiller, Fritzi Ritz and Nancy. In the beginning Fritzi Ritz was a flirtatious flapper.

The top car is a "tank" car, built from the external "belly tank" of a World War II fighter aircraft used to extend the plane's operational range. Just after WWII, someone figured out the aerodynamic shape would increase speed on land just as in the air, and an entire new class of speed trial cars was born.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Remember, next Friday, February 19, the weekly Red Hot Lindy Hop dance lesson and session at the Rumba Room will have live music from Jayna Morgan & the Sazerac Sunrise Jazz Band, featuring Jeremy Shrader and Gerald Stephens. The regular RHLH schedule will apply, with a dance lesson at 7:00 p.m., followed by the band and dancing at 7:30 p.m. For more information on Jayna and the band, check out their MySpace page.

Jed Clampett could cut quite a rug before he moved to Beverly (Hills, that is). Boing Boing had a post featuring Buddy Ebsen with Shirley Temple in "At the Codfish Ball" from the 1937 picture, Captain January.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

"Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots" first appeared in the mid-1960's, and the classic game/toy is still available today. This 1933 issue of Modern Mechanix, however, demonstrates that somebody had the same idea thirty years earlier. Toy "Pugs" Fight Rousing Battle.

Monday, February 8, 2010

On Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine, I found this 1943 comic book featuring Airboy and Valkyrie. During World War II, Airboy was a comic book boy hero who battled the Axis in his flapping flying machine - "Birdie." His greatest enemy was Valkyrie, a beautiful female Nazi flyer who eventually saw the error of her ways and defected to the Allies. The Golden Age of Comics: when good guys were good guys, and bad guys were gorgeous babes who eventually fell in love with the good guys.

Friday, February 5, 2010

On Friday, February 19, the weekly Red Hot Lindy Hop dance lesson and session at the Rumba Room will feature live music from New Orleans vocalist Jayna Morgan, along with instrumentalists Jeremy Shrader, Gerald Stephens and Mike Singleton. The regular RHLH schedule will apply, with a dance lesson at 7:00 p.m., followed by the band and dancing at 7:30 p.m. For more information on Jayna, including photos and music, check out her MySpace page at Jayna Morgan & the Sazerac Sunrise Jazz Band.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

I just realized that the SSS Blog has been suffering from an automobile deficiency of late, so I found the following on the Hemmings blog: a 1940 Tatra T-87. These Czechoslovakian-made cars were on the cutting edge of automotive technology in the 1940's, with features like rear-mounted, air-cooled, aluminum block engines and aerodynamic styling that delivered drag coefficients as low (if not lower) than many of today's sleekest cars. Apparently, Ferdinand Porsche applied many of Tatra's concepts to the very first "volkswagen" in 1938.